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Public Encounters as Venues for Citizen Empowerment: The ‘In‐Between’ in the Belgian Probation Sector

Public Encounters as Venues for Citizen Empowerment: The ‘In‐Between’ in the Belgian Probation... Public encounters between street‐level bureaucrats and citizens are increasingly seen as collaborative. Yet, the nature and extent of citizens' participation remain unclear, especially in coercive settings involving marginalised populations, where interactions are mandatory and control‐driven. While research on administrative burdens and resources offers insights, it does not break into the black box of citizen–state interactions. We examine citizens' participation in probation, a highly asymmetrical context, through a relational approach focused on what happens ‘in‐between’ actors and the network of relationships in which encounters are embedded. Drawing on 71 observed encounters, supplemented by interviews, we show that probationers actively participate in the implementation process despite the coercive setting. We propose a heuristic classification of public encounters—officer‐led, probationer‐led, oppositional, and reciprocal—that disentangles relational and power dynamics and emphasises how citizens participate in probation. Ultimately, our analysis reveals the role of probationers' relationships with the judiciary and with probation officers in (re)shaping the experience of probation and how they engage in encounters. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Social Policy & Administration Wiley

Public Encounters as Venues for Citizen Empowerment: The ‘In‐Between’ in the Belgian Probation Sector

Ricotta, Anthony
Social Policy & Administration , Volume Early View – Sep 10, 2025
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14 pages

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References (46)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0144-5596
eISSN
1467-9515
DOI
10.1111/spol.70005
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Public encounters between street‐level bureaucrats and citizens are increasingly seen as collaborative. Yet, the nature and extent of citizens' participation remain unclear, especially in coercive settings involving marginalised populations, where interactions are mandatory and control‐driven. While research on administrative burdens and resources offers insights, it does not break into the black box of citizen–state interactions. We examine citizens' participation in probation, a highly asymmetrical context, through a relational approach focused on what happens ‘in‐between’ actors and the network of relationships in which encounters are embedded. Drawing on 71 observed encounters, supplemented by interviews, we show that probationers actively participate in the implementation process despite the coercive setting. We propose a heuristic classification of public encounters—officer‐led, probationer‐led, oppositional, and reciprocal—that disentangles relational and power dynamics and emphasises how citizens participate in probation. Ultimately, our analysis reveals the role of probationers' relationships with the judiciary and with probation officers in (re)shaping the experience of probation and how they engage in encounters.

Journal

Social Policy & Administration – Wiley

Published: Sep 10, 2025

Keywords: administrative burdens; judiciary; participation; public services; relational approach

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